


A Problem Shared

by Rod



Series: Parallel Lines [20]
Category: Veritas: The Quest
Genre: M/M, Pre-Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-05-08
Updated: 2013-05-08
Packaged: 2017-12-10 20:33:36
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/789876
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rod/pseuds/Rod
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Nikko and Cal discuss their secrets.  Or at least the secrets they know the other knows about.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Problem Shared

Cal has officially reached his weirdness limit. It's been a long and tiring day full of death traps, car chases and people shooting at him, not to mention discovering that he and Nikko both have abilities way beyond the normal, but he was coping with that. Not well, but he was coping. The bit that he can't cope with is he and Nikko sitting in the study late at night having a quite, earnest discussion about what exactly is going on.

Maybe it's something about the study, because this is the second time now that they've sat in this comfortable, safe, softly lit room and had a conversation that didn't involve shouting, screaming or sniping at one another. Much more of this and people will start to talk. That or Cal's resolution to keep his relationship with Nikko strictly professional is going to crumble, something which isn't helped by Nikko being nervous as hell about it all too.

He looks down at his hands and tries not to freak out again. If he didn't know that a few hours ago he'd been burned badly enough that it should have scarred him for life, he'd never spot the marks on his palms. Even those will be gone by morning if Nikko's right.

Compartmentalise, he tells himself. If he can distance himself from this, look at it as if it were happening to someone else, then just maybe he'll be able to understand. And if he can understand it, it won't be such a fearsome thing any more.

"I think," he says slowly, "I think my body's defence systems are all running in overdrive. It's not just healing damage, I could get a lot further through the magnetic field than anyone else could. Hell, I could actually feel the field shifting. We'll probably find that I'm a lot more resistant to diseases and toxins too."

Nikko grimaces. "Let's not test that out, OK? Trust me, getting poisoned isn't fun."

Cal doesn't answer him for a moment. The scientist in him knows he should be testing his limits, finding out what exactly is going on in his body so that he knows what he's working with, but the thought really doesn't appeal.

"So how come I've ended up with this while you've got telekinesis? And why wasn't anyone else affected? If you're right and this is an after-effect of Antarctica, we were all right up close to the power source for the same amount of time. How come none of the others are showing signs of changes?"

"I don't know," Nikko says with a shrug. "There's nothing to say that what's going on with me is anything to do with the pyramid, not with all the crap that's been going on."

Gee thanks, Cal thinks, he so wanted to be reminded how regularly Nikko has nearly died.

"Maybe you were just more receptive because your body was in shock at the time and needed the help," Nikko continues, oblivious to Cal's discomfort. "Maybe something in your genes made it more likely to kick-start you or keep you in high gear once it got you there. Maybe you're just a freak." Nikko says that last bit with a typical cheeky grin, and Cal knows he's being teased.

He's not going to be distracted, though. "Talking of freaks," he says, "you sounded like you might have another idea for what's happened to you."

Nikko looks faintly embarrassed. It looks good on him, Cal thinks before reining in his wayward thoughts. He's busy enough getting himself back in line that he doesn't catch what Nikko mumbles. "Pardon?"

"I said I think I may have swallowed some of the Waters of Life."

"Oh." The stuff that put that flower's biochemistry into a self-renewing loop, effectively freezing the cell division counters that cause the aging process. If it has anything like the same effect on a human being — which is one hell of an if — then Nikko could be effectively immortal. That takes Cal so far past his weirdness allowance for the day that he's not even going to begin to think about the consequences. Which are huge. But he's not thinking about them.

"Is that all you've got to say? 'Oh'?"

"No." Cal compartmentalises, pretending this isn't all about Nikko becoming ever more unavailable. "I don't buy it. Not as a reason for the Amazing Psychic Zond anyway. From what Maggie said the waters did their work at a cellular level, and I don't see how that could have that effect on you."

"So you know how TK works then?" Nikko challenges. "Or how come that vision happened?"

"That was the Ring," Cal objects, "it could have been a special case." But no, he doesn't know, and both he and Nikko know that. He sighs. "We need to run some tests, figure out exactly what's going on."

Nikko frowns, shakes his head. "I don't want the others to know."

Meaning his father, and Cal is a little surprised at how readily he agrees. Dr Zond is still over-protective of Nikko. If he knew something like this was going on, he'd freak big time and Nikko would never see the light of day again. That's definitely not on Cal's agenda.

"I'll slip it in amongst the rest of my analysis work, there's enough to do that no one will notice. I'm not as good as Maggie with biology, though."

"You'll figure it out." That simple faith and one of Nikko's brilliant smiles almost undo Cal. He tries to pull himself together with practicalities.

"We're also going to have to figure out how to train ourselves."

Nikko rolls his eyes. "Train, train, train, that's all I ever seem to do these days. If it isn't Juliet's coursework it's Vincent's martial arts stuff. Now you want to add more weird shit?"

There's something that doesn't ring quite true in what Nikko's saying, but Cal's beyond caring right now. "We got lucky today," he says. "If we're going to be using what we've got, we have to know how to do it better."

He's going to carry on, explain to Nikko how they don't know what stresses and strains Nikko puts on his own body when he moves things with his mind, and how Cal isn't about to let him push himself into a brain haemorrhage or anything like that. He's going to, but Nikko stops him with a touch.

"I know," Nikko says. "Just don't expect me to be enthusiastic about it, that's all."

"I'm not exactly looking forward to it myself," Cal agrees. Which is only partly true. Part of Cal is very much looking forward to having more time alone with Nikko. The sane part of him, on the other hand, knows how much of the wrong sort of alone time he wants, and how hard it's going to be keeping his hands and his libido where they're supposed to be.

Oh no, this isn't going to be fun at all.


End file.
